Jordanian Ministers Quit after Water Parasite Incident

Though the outbreak of a non-fatal, waterborne parasite that made about 1,000 people sick will not affect Israeli water supply, a number of Jordanian ministers were still forced to leave their post.

Uri Schor, a representative from the Israeli Water Authority, reported to Jerusalem Post that the country do not receive water from the North of Jordan, instead, the Mountain Aquifer, the Sea of Galilee and the Coastal Aquifer are the primary sources of Israel's water.

As a result of the incident, Jordan's King Abdullah II accepted the resignations of two cabinet ministers a few days after the outbreak in northern Jordan near the town of Mafraq.

According to Jerusalem Post, Abdullah issued a royal decree endorsing the resignations of Water Minister Mohammed Thafer al-Alem and Health Minister Saad al-Kharabsheh.

Both ministers will soon be replaced, and for now their responsibilities would be divided among the remaining cabinet ministers.

Adnan al-Zoubi, on behalf of the Jordanian Water Ministry, reported to Jerusalem Post that the water in the affected region is now clean, even though many residents are still sick.

Investigations into the incident uncovered the local reservoir was be clean of the parasite, indicating that perhaps seepage from residential septic tanks entered the drinking water supply. However, the health minister said earlier that the outbreak came from a water pipe that had been contaminated with animal dung.